Memories
by SnowDevil22
Summary: After loosing and watching the death of a close teammate, Tenten comes to learn to never show her feelings again. Her other teammate needs her to know that isn't teh right way, and that they should honor their's teammates death.M for future events.
1. Reality

Chapter One: Memorable

**Chapter One: Reality **

Tenten eased herself to the ground where his name was carved into the cold granite stone, running her fingers over it, thinking that she would never had seen his name on the grey stone.

"Tenten, this isn't good for you," a voice said behind the damaged Tenten. Her hair was strewn about all over, her pink and white shirt torn in numerous places, the large scroll beside her, one of the straps missing. She had kept herself this far, but with that voice and words, salty streams poured down her face in curved, jagged lines.

Her sobbing was loud enough that the figure behind her walked up behind her, laying an arm across her shaking shoulders. She knew it was against shinobi code to show emotions, no matter the situation, but this had been her teammate, and watching him fall to the ground and be pulled into the enemies clutches was overwhelming for her.

"You're allowed to cry, let it out," the voice whispered in her ear, bringing his other arm around and permitting her to cry in the crook of his neck. He was feeling vulnerable, which was an odd feeling for him. He wasn't normally like this, but his sake went out to his teammate.

Another figure appeared from behind a tree and came to kneel down beside her trembling frame, placing a hand on her shoulder, rubbing it calmly. He was clad in a green jumpsuit, which looked in a better condition than Tenten's ruffled clothes.

"I-I'm sorry," she choked out, bringing down more tears, running down the skin of the man's shoulder.

"There was nothing to do, you tried. If you did anything more, we could have lost you," the green clad figure said.

"Sensei-," she started, but he shushed her, knowing that loosing a teammate was hard and all, but watching it happen before your eyes and knowing you couldn't have avoided it, was more than a skilled ninja could register.

She looked behind her, bringing on a fresh pool of tears. Her sensei was holding it in, something she failed to do.

"This isn't healthy for her," the boy supporting Tenten said.

"It isn't for any of our youthful minds. Take her home, and we'll check on her in the morning," Gai said. He gave her one more gentle pat, then took off towards the Hokage's office, to report that his student was not eligible to do any missions until her mind calmed.

"I lost," Tenten muttered, being picked up bridal style, and carried to her home. "He's gone."

"Shhh," her carrier gently cooed near her ear.

They where outside Tenten's threshold and skillfully opening her door while keeping Tenten level in his arms. He stepped inside the medium sized house, making his way down a hallway that he hoped her bedroom would lay.

The door was open, and looked different than the other parts of the household, with clothes and old weapons sprawled about. Overflowing drawers contained shirts and training gear, while a full bed was by the corner, with a small headboard attached. Wrappers from quick meals and water bottles covered most of the lightly shaded wood. A single picture was positioned up, showing her team from back when they where appointed genin. It was angled as if she looked at it every night before sleep would over take her.

He placed her upon the bed that was surprisingly made, knowing that she would have liked to come home to comfy bed to sleep on instead of a mat that was used on missions. He pulled back the top cover, and carefully laid her near unconscious body on the mattress.

He pulled the covers over her, making a mental note to bring one of her friends that could help her change into something and help her clean up. He found a soft bristled brush and started to softly comb through the bark brown locks.

It combed through easily, even though he had thought otherwise with the way that her hair had been shoved in many directions, and he quickly let it set on the pillow around her head, framing her face. She soon woke from her short sleep, and tear started to run down again.

"Lee," she cried softly, bringing her hands up to her face and crying freely into them.

Beside her, Neji's pinprick tears in the corner of his eyes fell, leaving a very faint line, which quickly evaporated. He couldn't stand to see his teammate that had been so strong her entire life. Tenten hadn't seen him, she stared blankly.

"Hn," Neji voiced, keeping normal, knowing that only acting normal would help Tenten get back into the flow of things.

Her tears had stopped, and she merely seemed to question about her last few days.

"Sensei?" Tenten asked.

"He is with the Hokage," Neji said. He wanted to question about the attack, but sensei had told him clearly to not push her into recalling it until she wanted to talk.

"How is he?" Tenten asked.

"Holding up," was all Neji dared to say. He knew that Lee being gone was tearing their sensei apart, but if he vocalized that to her, it would make her feel worse even though she had no fault in Lee's downfall.

"I broke the shinobi laws, I'm weak," she said quietly that Neji has to strain his ears to hear.

"You had every right to cry," he reassured her, recalling in his mind the scene a few moments earlier when she had been broken in front of the granite stone.

"I'm weak. I should have emotions," Tenten said.

"No you aren't. But you are correct, you, as a great kunoichi, should not be showing your emotions, but rather keep them internally."

"He could come back," Tenten said mostly to herself, trying to keep slightly positive.

"No, he can't," their sensei said, coming through the door. He went and sat by the edge of the bed, lightly grasping her hand and stroking the back of it in a fatherly gesture. "Lee fought hard, and what the little you have recalled since, about what tactics he had used, then his chakra was to low to keep his body stable when he fell and dragged away. We are sorry Tenten, but no amount of youthful thoughts will get us our little lotus back," Gai said, keeping his voice as firm as possible, but showing that it would falter at any moment.

"Lee can't be gone, he can't be. Not forever," Tenten said, her lightly sunned skin being layered with a thin film of tears.

"He is, plus, Kakashi has seen you at the stone," Gai said, shooting a nervous glance at Neji.

"And that means what?" Neji asked, showing a great concern for his teammate, but trying to hide it.

"Kakashi told Lady Tsunade that she had broken shinobi laws of showing emotion. She says she can't afford a shinobi that doesn't follow the laws set down by the ancestors," Gai said, looking at Neji.

"She is going on a mission soon isn't she?" Neji said.

"Soon, very. She has a week to get over this, and then is required to attend the ANBU team to Sauna for a guard mission," Gai explained.

"Just because she broke shinobi law?" Neji asked.

"It's the real thing. You and Tenten are getting older, and while you will be respected more, then you are expected to represent the shinobi law, even how un youthful the times are," Gai said.

"I will," Tenten said, already getting up and moving towards her bedroom.

"Tenten-" Gai started.

"Sensei, I have done wrong, and I pay the price that follows my wrongful actions. I trust that both of you will leave knowing that I am fine and shall move on with my duties of protecting Konoha," Tenten voiced, closing and turning on the fan for the shower so as to drown out any talk from Neji or her sensei.

She took of her clothes, and held them in front of her, looking at how ruined they where after her encounter with some Grass Nin that had attacked them. She looked at the tear in her right sleeve, where Lee had shoved her out of the way in the beginning of the attack, only to accidentally tear it. The Grass Nin had then came down and broken his nose, for she had heard the crack to know it.

She quickly folded the pants and shirt, grabbed a piece of cloth that was soft and would keep any dust away, and wrapped it around the tattered clothing. One of the last things that she would keep to help remind her of Lee, and that she would have to push herself farther to obey the shinobi law.

_There they where, the men that brutally shoved herself and Lee around, laughing at how weak they where._

_One, with arms that looked as thick as her waist, grabbed Lee and pushed him against a tree, snapping the tree and cutting open the back of Lee's head…_

Tenten woke up breathing hard before the dream continued. She couldn't remember what was next, and she would rather not. She fell back, and buried her head in the pillow to help stifle her cries, which the man who's presence she couldn't sense, could still hear. She let the darkness over take her, so that she could try to forget all the happenings of the sorrowful event.

The morning sunshine hit the thin film of sweat that layered Tenten's face. She couldn't remember what she had dreamed, but it had been awful, she knew that. She wanted to forget it all to quickly, and she knew that training would help take her mind off things.

She dressed, and was about to walk out the door when she heard a soft knock from the opposite side. She took caution when she opened it, seeing her sensei there.

"You okay my youthful flower blossom?" Gai asked. Tenten knew that he was only trying to make her feel better, and yet she knew that she wouldn't crack a smile the next few days.

"Where is Neji for training?" Tenten questioned without answering her sensei's question.

"We need you to stay home until your mission," Gai said.

"And why?" Tenten pushed him, not wanting to have to sit around her house and think about **HIS** death.

"You will need your energy, and we don't want you hovering around the memorial site, and become like Kakashi," Gai told her.

"And who is 'we'" Tenten asked.

"Me, the frozen youthful flower, and Lee would want it," Gai said.

"Right," Tenten said.

"Fine, just me. Neji thinks you should train, but you are my student, and you should stay home!" Gai admitted.

"I am not your student, well, mostly not. I am 20, and so is Neji. I am going where I want to," Tenten remarked, walking passed a stunned Gai.

She knew she should find Neji and train, and that was her later intensions, but now she had to do something…

The granite stone sat there, large, tall, and dark, with the numerous names carved into it. She ran her fingers again over his name. 'Rock Lee.' It was true then, it had happened, he was gone, away from her forever.

"I thought you where gonna come train," Neji's voice came from behind her.

"I can't make it to be reality," Tenten said quietly, wrapping her arms around her middle, and coming to her knees.

"Hn," was all Neji said, but came to stand behind her, staying quiet to honor the man whose name was carved forever into the rock…

OXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXO

A/N: Yes, I know, short. Okay, this is my new story that I just thought of. Many people wanted me to write a Neji and Tenten story. The POLLS ARE STILL OPEN PEOPLE!! I am not giving up on my other story, but this one is more serious and all. I need reviews, and comments of what I need to do better, please. Neji was a little OOC , but I don't think so, he was still not nearly that sympathetic. If you are reading this story, but not my other one, please read my other one, please. This one will be strictly NejTen, with sides of other couples. Thanks for reading!!


	2. Emotions

Chapter 2: Emotions

**Chapter 2: Emotions**

Tenten followed up her visit to the memorial site with training, from Neji.

He noticed that her throws where faster and straighter, as if she was trying harder to either prepare for her mission, or as to help keep her active, so as to not think about Lee's sad death.

"We're done," Neji said quietly as a bell in the distance rang 11:00 pm.

"I'm not," Tenten said roughly, pushing a stray hair from her face and pulling out several more kunai between her fingers.

"You bet?" Neji asked, and a whizzing shurken was only a few centimeters from her face. "Once you do not attempt to block any more, then you are ready to get some rest."

"Why?"

"Hn."

"Oh, the because I said so. It was off guard, besides, you just want to save your ass after I nearly killed it," Tenten recalled from her memory.

"Hn," was all that came from Neji's cold and stern face.

Tenten took her leave, and started in the direction to the memorial site that she had bee currently visiting.

"Where are you going?" Neji questioned, concern for his fellow teammate showing in his voice, but going by unnoticed by Tenten.

"If I can't train anymore, than I might as well have my presence respected somewhere else," Tenten's voice came with heavy annoyance.

"Gai won't be happy to know that you are going to visit Lee's name," Neji pointed out to her, which she considered for a short second.

"And why would it bother him?" Tenten asked him. "he would be happy to know that I am showing remorse for Lee."

"He would rather you not be squandering your time mourning Lee, rather than be happy for the time you spent with him," Neji told her firmly.

"Where else do you expect me to go?" Tenten partially yelled at him. "I watched him die, and sitting at home will not make me feel any better! No one understands how I feel, and they never will anymore!" Tenten then took off towards the memorial site, not wanting to face what Neji would say, and she was glad she heard no objection towards her leaving.

Her eyes where Akatsuki cloud red, but yet no tears where to be seen among her face, only the dirt from her training session.

"Didn't I see you here yesterday with Youthful-Idiot and the Hyuga?" a voice said form behind her, and turned to see the silver haired Team Kakashi leader, Kakashi Hatake.

Tenten didn't answer but meekly nodded her head.

"And yet you are back," he said.

"And so are you, but more often than I," Tenten questioned him, while merely pointing out a fact.

"And for the same goal," Kakashi pointed out.

"How would you know what my motives are?" Tenten wanted to know.

"To have no feelings about anything, because you face the challenge of watching a teammate die in front of your young eyes," he answered, turning his attention back to the dark rock that lay in front of Tenten and himself.

"I only know one thing, to serve Konoha and be willing to risk my life for the right on it," Tenten muttered.

"But yet knowing one thing and having a set motive is two totally different things. You are trying to rid of all your emotions, so as to avoid another accident," Kakashi said firmly, finding the lop hole in Tenten's mind.

"What do you mean?" Tenten questioned, not getting his full perspective.

"You know to serve and be loyal to Konoha, yet you want to rid of your emotions, for you feel they get you into a greater number of troubles than you could think of. Lee's death was related to one of your actions, and you know it, and an action is more than half the time the act of an emotion that built up inside of you," Kakashi told her, and Tenten hanging onto every word he says.

"And an impulse is then usually the reaction of a triggered emotion," Tenten figured out, tears welling in her eyes, but keeping them glazed over her eyes, so as to not show it in front of Kakashi.

"Your eyes are glassy with tears, anyone within a 360 degree vision field could see that."

"Like a Hyuga?" Tenten laughed a little, trying to clear the shaking shivers in her voice and throat.

"Yes, for your little training partner is looking at you from your training session," Kakashi voiced to her.

"How would you know?" Tenten snapped at him.

"Because he is concerned about you, and worried you will do some act of idiocy and stupidity. I saw the way he tried to stay to himself yesterday, but couldn't resist when you where in such a state of distress yesterday."

"This isn't Neji at all," Tenten muttered, knowing that someone had to be pulling a prank on her.

"It is, but yet he has suffered so much that his emotions are controlled and kept at a level that are easy to see when they are out of balance. I saw that at the chunin finals," Kakashi recalled.

Tenten's mind wandered to that day, several years ago, when Neji's rage nearly mad him kill his cousin, even though she was nothing to be blamed upon.

"I have my own path of life to get off of today, and I suggest you do the same, but you might want to take that detour back from where you came, or else you could wake up with his presence nearby," Kakashi's final words being almost inaudible, for he took his leave.

"Thanks, I guess," she muttered under her breath as she started to walk back down the path that was now darker and headed back to where Neji's presence lingered.

She approached the small clearing, and saw that he had just recently turned off his Byakugan, staring into the opposite direction, trying to seem as if he hadn't spent his last few minutes staring at Tenten.

"Train more?" Tenten suggested to him, of which Neji just shook his head, muttering his usual response.

"I want you away from there, it is making you worse each time you visit," Neji told her, trying to resist the urge to call his sensei and have her towed back to her home.

"You have no control over what I want to do," Tenten said, turning back around, knowing that his stare was till blazing into her back.

"He was right, you usually keep your emotions locked inside, and with this happening, they are spilling out of you. Lee's death was none of your fault," Neji reassured her.

"And how would you know?!" Tenten yelled at him, demanding how would he be able to know of the attack.

"Because you can talk to Lee about anything," Neji recalled, seeing how they could talk about anything when he wasn't there.

"And doing that led him to his death," Tenten stated, her eyes close to another wave of tears.

"I heard you in your sleep," Neji said, closing his eyes, trying to rid of how Tenten had talked in her sleep.

"I take it Gai made you stay?" Tenten questioned him.

"Hn," Neji replied, standing statue straight.

"Well, I don't need you to baby-sit me anymore! I am a skilled ninja, and don't need BOYS like you and Gai watching over me!" Tenten nearly shrieked at him, and with that, took off, running back to her house, hoping that Neji was still bewildered from her outburst and what she had said.

She settled back into her bed, realizing that she would have to face Neji tomorrow when she went out to train. She shook it off, knowing that he would be silent, back to his normal self. She knew that he had gotten the real news of his father's death when he was 13, and near the end of the third exam of the chunin exams. He had gotten through it, and quickly, because he had always been cold, but learning about his father, had made him be nicer to his cousin. It was crazy, just for being cold his entire life after being branded with the curse mark, he was made nicer knowing the real news of his father. _Maybe, just maybe_, she thought_, if I_ let_ Neji know the real reason Lee died, then maybe it will make me feel better knowing he knows it._

She soon fell into a fitful sleep, wanting a way to stop the horrid dreams that kept coming to her. She had the great urge to visit a local bar and get near dead drunk, for her dreams wouldn't be so horrific, but she would get into great trouble if she where caught.

She woke up early the next morning, and looked outside to make sure that neither Gai nor Neji was standing guard over her. She looked at the clock beside her bed, and saw that it read, 5:00 am.

She sighed, knowing that if they practiced that late, then they wouldn't start until about 8 the next day. She knew glanced over her bedroom that was littered with her assortment of junk, broken blades of kunai, clothing that should be washed sooner or later, and pins that where broken in half after holding her hair up.

She went over the back wall of her room, where her dresser was set before her. Upon the top of it lay a little dark blue box that was opened with darker blue velvet lining the inside of it. It contained four hair pins, but with a little dark green glass flower on the end. She knew they weren't meant for holding her entire hair up, for it would take a great deal of time, but rather put it up part way and slide two of them into place, or take all four and use invisible like pins to hold her hair up and add those for decoration.

She gently touched one of the pins, never intending to use them except if she had to, and felt the curve of the flowing glass into the flower shape. Lee had given them to her on her twentieth birthday, only three months ago. She picked the first one up, and remembered how he had gone to the great trouble of finding the right color of green that matched his jumpsuit, and a way for the glass to be shaped. It had had a little green bow on it, which she had stuck back into his hair. She started to fall to her knees in the memory.

But something held her up, and she didn't know what, for neither Neji nor Gai was behind her. She just got the courage to control over how she was feeling. She looked at herself in the mirror across the room, and smiled, knowing that Lee would laugh at her appearance of her panda buns being down and all messy.

She quickly got ready, and left out the door, remembering to pick out a dress later that would match the hair pins. She knew what she had to do with the spare time, and she dreaded what the result would come of it.

She stopped outside the Hokage's office, hoping that Neji wasn't already waiting for her, and gave a quick, short knock on the door.

"Yes, Shizune?" Lady Tsunade's voice came form behind the door.

"It is Tenten, Lady Tsunade," Tenten said, knowing that Shizune was her assistant.

"Oh, come in Tenten," The Hokage's voice said, as Tenten opened the door.

Tenten bowed, and looked up to see the Hokage of Konoha with her feet on her desk, with an empty bottle of sake next to her.

"What do you need?" she snapped at Tenten, her hangover being a pain in the butt.

"I need a way to get rid of my dreams," Tenten came straight out, not wanting to make this any longer than it had to be.

"And my I inquire as to why?" Tsunade now stood straighter and taller.

"I am having horrifying dreams of my teammate's death, and I can't seem to rid of them. I need them to leave, and if they do, then maybe I will be able to follow the shinobi laws better," Tenten said firmly without stuttering or making sound as a plea.

"Rock Lee died a weak ago, and these dreams have been going on for that long?" She questioned Tenten.

"Yes."

"And you think this will slow of showing the emotion of sorrow and crying?"

"Yes, I wish only to keep Konoha safe and I don't want my emotions hindering that."

"I see," Tsunade told her, leaning back into her chair. "I remember when Lee had to have the surgery back when Gaara of the Dessert defeated him in the chunin exams. He wanted to do anything he could to make sure that he could keep being a ninja, even if it only meant a fifty percent chance of surviving."

"He would risk anything to be a ninja," Tenten said, recalling what Lee had always told them.

"Or to impress someone," Tsunade offered.

"Never, Lee wasn't like that to anyone, only when he had a short burst of affection for Haruno Sakura," Tenten reassured herself by saying it out loud.

"As said by you," Tsunade said with a smirk. Tenten stood quiet.

"So you will find a way to help me rid of my dreams?" Tenten said, leading her away from the topic of Lee.

"Let me look into how I can do that. It has been recorded that it is possible surgically, but sometimes there are ways to just slow the dreams without cutting into your brain." Tenten put up a slow and shaking hand up to her head, with Tsunade letting out a quiet laugh.

"How long do you think it might be until you will have the information about this?" Tenten wondered out loud.

"Depends on where this information could be found. About a week, maybe before you leave. And would your teammate or sensei know about this?" Tsunade suggested.

"No. And Please don't tell them. Thank you, Lady Hokage," Tenten said, bowing, about to leave.

"Tenten?" came the voice of the Hokage behind her, Tenten turned around, interested in what the Hokage wanted to know.

"Yes?"

"Once you are comfortable and you can stay firm as a statue, I need to know more about the attack. You gave the basics, but I need to know if you heard anything about them or something that they did to you or Lee that it not yet in record," The Hokage said.

"Yes, Lady Tsunade," Tenten said, bowing yet again.

"Leave," she merely said, then heard her yell at her assistant to come to her once she was down the hallway.

Tenten walked down the hallway, thinking about how Gai and Neji would take it if they found out that she was asking the Hokage to rid her of her dreams, just so that her emotions would slow to a stop.

"Tenten!" came a voice behind her that was familiar, but yet obnoxious sometimes at the same time. And as she turned around, she did see that loud mouth blond, Ino Yamanaka.

"Ino," Tenten uttered, not in the mood to talk to anyone or question her why she was in the Hokage's office.

"What where you doing with the Hokage?" Ino asked, fighting the urge to ask about Lee, but Tenten knew it would slip out sooner or later. She didn't want their sorrow or remorse, just to leave her alone for a little while until her head could clear without the dreams haunting besides her every minute that thought, slept, or trained.

"Nothing," Tenten said, hoping that Ino would leave soon.

"Yeah, I heard about Lee, and I am really sorry," Ino said, trying to sound sympathetic.

"I would rather you leave now," Tenten said, turning around and starting to walk away.

"Lee was nice, but annoying-" Ino started, but never got to finish, for Tenten quickly pulled out a kunai and threw it at her legs, causing a gash in her leg. She quickly screamed and fell, attending to her wounded leg.

"Never, talk about Lee, you have no right to, you never knew him," Tenten said darkly, before throwing a shurken so that it curved, making a large 'T' on Ino's leg, which would leave a very faint a scar even once it was healed. She wasn't making a mark or anything, but rather to show to Ino that you don't tick off a kunoichi that has a crap load of weapons at her disposal. "I think this discussing is over," Tenten called over her shoulder as she walked towards the Hyuga Compound, wanting to start training early.

The maids of the compound showed Tenten where Neji's room was, for they knew her well, yet she still got lost in a place that was an off white color.

"Neji?" she asked as she knocked on the door, but heard no answer but rather a quick shuffle of feet and small, minute voices hushing quickly. Neji came to the door and opened it for her to come in.

"Hn?" he said as she entered his room, which looked like a bare hotel room, with everything so organized and clean. Hiashi was sitting in a chair near the window, looking at Tenten with disapproving eyes.

"Hello Tenten," he uttered in a firm but yet meek voice to her.

"Good morning Hiashi, was I bothering anything?" she asked politely, hoping that Hiashi hadn't been telling Neji that she was going crazy or he was expressing his worry for her.

"No, not at all, but Neji has something he would like to talk to you about." He got up and took his leave, nodding towards Tenten and Neji, then closed the door.

Neji turned upon Tenten, and out came the glare.

"What?" she wondered, knowing that he had nothing to be mad about.

"Hn."

"Say something," Tenten practically begged him, the stare starting to become a nuisance.

"You think becoming like Kakashi will do you good in life?" Neji inquired to her, his voice stern and angry.

"What are you talking about?"

"Hn."

"Hn," Tenten repeated, getting annoyed at how he wouldn't talk, even when they where alone and no one else would even want to listen to him and her.

"You can't kill yourself, like I did," Neji said quietly.

"I am not killing myself," Tenten said, tears welling up in her eyes, for Neji didn't understand her situation.

"Yes you are."

"YOU WOULDN"T UNDER STAND!!" she yelled at him.

"Hn. Why wouldn't I understand?" he asked her, looking her in her eyes that where leaking tears.

"Because you never gave the Lee the real chance," she said, trying to regain her composition.

"I gave him many," Neji scowled.

"You didn't believe in him," Tenten pointed out.

"Believing does nothing, just another silly emotion."

"If emotions are silly, then why are you saying I am killing myself?"

"Because you could do anything, not this."

"Like what?"

"Honor Lee," Neji suggested to her, which she backed down a little.

"I honored him, but I want him to know I miss him," she cried out.

"Miss him? Is that what you call this?" He asked, wanting to know why she did all this mourning, and call it just missing a person.

"Yes, I miss him," Tenten gave in.

"But you are doing anything possible to make yourself feel bad over it."

"I didn't try hard enough to save him!" Tenten yelled at him.

"Yes you did," Neji said.

"I miss him, because I didn't try hard enough!" Tenten yelled at him. "I was reckless! Because I let my guard down for a few seconds, Lee is gone, GONE! Never coming back!" She cried at him.

"I know that, and you should too, always know that," he said to her in a gentler but still angry voice.

"He is DEAD because of me!" Tenten yelled at him again, her face becoming lined with tears, with Neji not even attempting to help her.

"It was a surprise attack, you couldn't have stopped it!" Neji yelled, getting angrier at her that she didn't get that something like that can't be known easily.

"Yes I could, one stupid emotion got us into this!" Tenten said, falling to her knees.

"Hn?"

"Love! You cold hearted bastard!" she screamed at him, getting to her feet, tears wiped form her face.

"Hn?"

"He loved me, and kissed me, and then they attacked us!" Tenten screeched at him, before taking off by cracking the door in two, thinking that using the door knob was a waste of time. Neji stood there, remaining with his face in a solid rock line, even though he was surprised by what he heard.

He knew that Lee had sentimental feelings towards her, and felt jealous that she might actually get time ALONE with her that mission, and make the move he had been holding back for years. He couldn't do anything now, it was impossible, she would hate him. She wanted to forget, about everything, Neji, Love, Lee. She couldn't forget Lee, he would make sure of that.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

The Hokage looked at the torn tissue and muscle in Ino's leg. She refused to say who had humiliated her this way, but by the straight cuts, and the obvious 'T', she guessed only Tenten. Ino said something out of turn, and she paid for it.

"Is it that bad?" Ino asked, a few tears running down her face, Shikamaru holding her hand and stroking the side of her face while she lay on the bed.

"Deep, very deep. Even with me healing it, you might have a hair line scar," Tsunade uttered, thinking in her brain that maybe helping Tenten would keep her from an outburst like this. She heard Ino gulp at the words though.

"What got you that cut?" she asked for more than the hundredth time since it had happened. She was exhausted, and wanted to sleep and have a large bottle of sake before she would hit the books tomorrow. Ino shook her head, and gave Shikamaru a look that he had better not tell her.

"Someone got mad at her, for something small that anyone wouldn't have noticed it," Shikamaru said, Ino agape that he dared tell her that much.

"Well, I guess one person with this much skill, and she is already being sent on a punishment mission soon. You will just have to keep your own mouth closed and open it only when you think you need too, or when your boyfriend's tongue comes pounding upon you," she said, seeing the look they exchanged, which made her nearly gag at them, even though she was a medic nin.

Ino was about to say something, but Tsunade cut her off. Ino shut her mouth, and Shika squeezed her hand, telling her silently to shut up. "Better," Tsunade added with some approval. "Someone shall be in very soon to heal your wound, and then you may leave. Just do what I tell you, and I won't have to see you in a while," Tsunade said as she took her leave.

"Mao! Room 73, quickly," She said to a nearby girl, who went in and helped Ino, who was still bewildered by what the Hokage had said to her.

"Shizune!" she barked down the hallway, seeing her flying towards her.

"Yes, Lady Hokage?" she asked in a exhausted voice.

"Find Tenten, and tell her to see me tomorrow, 3. Tell her she will help me look for a cure for her requested operation, for I need to talk some sense into her."

"Yes, anything more?"

"Yes, all the old and new medical scrolls about how to rid of unwanted dreams, please, Shizune."

"Yes," she muttered, walking off to complete her request of the Hokage.

Tsunade walked up to her room, sitting on her bed, thinking that Tenten was like Sakura, her old apprentice, young and a little naïve, but learning form every mistake they make, even if she has to yell at them to get it through their thick heads.

XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXO

A/N: Done. Ino and Tenten would never get along. Please take the poll on ym page. Thanks for reading!


	3. Search

Chapter 3: Search

**Chapter 3: Search**

Tenten gingerly touched her side, feeling the slight bruise from a landing on a rock from the attack. They had had it healed, but it was minor, and it didn't bother her, and felt it would be unnecessary to go to a crowded hospital just for a little bruise.

She had also heard how Ino went around town talking about how she had been attacked for no reason, and Tenten learned that news spread faster around Konoha faster than anything. It was already noon, and she had to meet Tsunade at three to look through dusty old scrolls for a way to get rid of her dreams. Last night she had decided to have a few drinks, nothing big, just something you get from the local bar that knows you have a reputation for being an expert with weapons.

She barely had a hangover, and only bothered her really when she thought about it, but otherwise she could get through it, unless Tsunade found out, then she would die. Tenten smirked to herself about being afraid of the Hokage instead of a painful drink or two.

"Tenten?" a feminine voice came behind the wooden door.

"It's open?" she yelled, quickly putting her hair up and pulling her shirt back down, coming out of her room seeing the green-eyed Haruno girl.

"Hello Sakura," Tenten greeted her, seeing that she was in her medic uniform.

"Good afternoon Tenten, I had to skip training last night, because I was scheduled for some hours at the hospital. I was surprised you even answered, Neji usually keeps you training a lot," Sakura explained, itching at Neji's name.

"Yeah, been a little busy. And after last week, Neji has been protective," Tenten said, looking down.

"Yeah, I can see why, I know how it feels Tenten; just want to let you know. But I don't think we should talk about all that!" Sakura said quickly. "I just want to hang, besides Naruto and Sai are both off on missions, and Kakashi went with them. And Yamato left for another separate mission, so I am kinda bored and all."

"Sure, meet by the training fields in five?" Tenten caught on.

"Thanks see ya!" Sakura nearly yelled, and took off back home to change out of her medic clothes.

Tenten just shook her head and smiled, glad to know that she could get some physical activity in before sitting in a stifling room with a bunch of scrolls and books that smell of old people that wrote them.

She grabbed her big scroll, and ran out the door, meeting Sakura at the training fields.

They did basic taijutsu, and then started throwing weapons and ninjutsu in. They where pretty evenly matched, but soon before Tenten had to leave, Sakura gave up, saying that she was tired from working and should go home, and make sure that no one has yet been reported dead from their missions yet.

"Tenten?" Sakura asked her, before leaving.

"Hm?" Tenten responded, turning around after gathering her weapons.

"I know you don't want to talk about this, and I am not like, your best friend, but when Sasuke left, I was mad, and felt I could have stopped him. I learned though I couldn't blame myself, or else I wouldn't be able to think straight, which lead to worse choices, that would be my fault. Lee is a fighter, he tried, a lot. Killing yourself, your inner self with make you so much weaker, but getting to know that you tried hard, will make your stronger next time something like that comes up again," Sakura finished, giving a small wave to Tenten, who seemed rather struck by what the medic nin said.

"Thanks, Sakura," Tenten thanked her, even though she was probably already out of earshot.

Tenten realized that it must already be 2:50, and she knew that Tsunade does not respond well to tardiness, unless it is herself and she has heartbeat in her head. She quickly ran to the Hokage's office, knowing that her teammate was out waiting for her to train, but she knew he would give up sooner or later, and would live.

"The Hokage is in the Library downstairs," a voice came from behind Tenten, turning to see that it was Shizune, Tsunade's assistant.

"Thank you," Tenten thanked her, leaving to go downstairs to the private library, that usually only ANBU, the Hokage, and top ranked ninja could get into. Tenten felt a sudden change of temperature, and felt the hot, summer air turning into cool, refreshing air. At the end of the steps leading down, was a door, with two ninja on the side.

"Yeah, Tenten, Lady Tsunade is waiting for me in there," Tenten told them.

"Clan name?" One of them asked, thinking that just her name could get her into the library.

"Just, Tenten," she told them again.

"Let her in," The Hokage said from inside the door.

"but-" one started.

"Do you really want to question me?" she threatened.

"No, Lady Tsunade," one quickly replied.

"Good, Tenten, you may come in," she said, while she turned back around and walked into the library that held the files of the Akatsuki group, clans secrets, and forbidden jutsu that are sealed in ways that Tenten could only wish she could imagine.

But then she saw the table, it was dark wood, with the Konoha leaf on it, but it was piled high with scrolls that looked like old dust, and some where newer, but all had the same title on it, Dreams.

She sighed, and took a seat on one of the stiff looking chairs, that felt as if it would collapse any second, but it luckily didn't.

Tsunade grabbed a scroll off the top of the hill, and started prying it open to read, Tenten following her lead, grabbing a scroll that looked like a medics scroll, and had the Sauna mark on it.

"What are we exactly looking for?"

"Information on how dreams are made in the brain, and then how to remove them, surgically or emotionally," Tsunade answered her sharply, throwing a scroll on a nearby hand table. "Put the useless ones here, which Shizune will help put back where it belongs, or will find someone to. The ones you think carry any information that would help us along this search, will make a new pile."

Tenten nodded, and guessed that it would be one long day.

Tenten tossed almost every scroll in the hand cart, finding very few with the mentions of repelling violent dreams, and some containing jutsu that would help, but sounded painful and thought there could be a different way.

"The Yamanaka girl seems to have a big mouth," Tsunade said, while throwing a scroll into the basket they where keeping the useful scrolls.

"She got everything she deserved, less even," Tenten said, scanning the contents of the scroll she was holding.

"As told by you, but dear Ino made a point," Tsunade configured, throwing a scroll at a young maid that was putting the scrolls back where they belonged.

"And that point was what exactly?"

"That you noticed a detail that anyone else would have overseen," Tsunade pointed out.

"I know, about Lee and me. But I think that she ahs no right to talk of Lee or about his and mine relationship. She should keep quiet, and mind her own crap," Tenten replied, getting angry that she is finding nothing useful about a cure to horrid dreams.

"She will seek a fight, she is naïve, and hot headed, so watch if you do attack her, I don't think it would be very wise to make a fight with Nara Shikamaru. He is strong, and I see how they act."

"I know, they are gushy gushy over each other," Tenten laughed.

"This is not a laughing matter. Ino is very hot headed, as I had said, so she will be seeking revenge, so just hold your temper."

"Wait," Tenten said, smiling. "I can fight her, just not destroy her?"

"Yes, and we would rather not have her in the hospital either. You are jouhin, so you should not be fighting amongst yourselves, and should be mature about matters like this."

"Yes, Lady Tsunade," Tenten said, nodding her head to show that she understood.

"Okay, well, I think we ruled out most of the unneeded scrolls, so I shall take it from here, you may go," Tsunade excused Tenten.

"Thank you," Tenten thanked, and quickly walked out.

Tenten walked back out into the late rays of the sun, seeing that most of the streets had cleared out, many going back home to sleep and gather with their families.

She walked slowly back, seeing a few children out playing; pretending to be ninja's themselves, for which Tenten smiled at. It was later than she had thought it was, for she felt that she had spent such a short time in the library, but rather more like four hours.

"H-hello," came a stuttering voice behind Tenten, and she turned and saw the Hyuga heiress, taking a late night walk back from training.

"Good afternoon Hinata," said to the Hyuga.

Hinata nodded, and soon Kiba and their other teammate, Shino, came up looking as though they had a million questions to ask.

"Yes?" she asked, after Shino, well she thought, started to stare at her.

"Ino Yamanaka is saying you attacked her, and she is out to get revenge, we heard her talking, so watch out," the tattooed red boy told her, and he left, Shino following.

"They just wanted to let you know, so that way they do not have to attend another funeral."

"I see, well, her big head will get her into a great amount of trouble," Tenten said.

Hinata just smiled, then gave a good bye nod, and left. Tenten knew she meant well, but she didn't need the for notice, Ino was always causing crap like that.

"My flower!" said a loud voice that yelled behind her. She knew who it was before she even turned around.

"Hello sensei," she said, giving him a head bow. Gai came up and still looked sad, but was happy to find Tenten not in a state of fury and madness.

"Where have you been all day my flower?" he questioned her.

"With the Hokage," she answered simply.

"Great, Neji is meeting me at the ramen stand for dinner, and we are bringing you!"

"Sensei, I really am not up to it," Tenten started her excuse.

"No, you are coming with me," he said, grabbing her arm and nearly dragging her.

"Fine," she agreed, taking back her arm.

They walked in silence to the ramen stand, where Neji already sat, looking bored.

"Hi Neji," Tenten looked at him, him turning at her.

"Hn," was all his reply, which she took to mean as a greeting.

Tenten slid in the seat next to Neji, and propped her head up on her elbow, nearly falling asleep while Gai ordered for them. Neji shook her head, but her mind was drifting father and farther away. Her head drooped down onto the table, and Neji stared at her.

"She's asleep," was all Neji said. Gai smirked, and tried to attempt to wake Tenten up.

"What had she been doing all day?" Neji wondered aloud.

"Who knows, take her home Neji," Gai basically pleaded. Gai was eating his second bowl of ramen, and then he saw Kakashi Hatake enter the ramen stand, with his team following behind him. "Never mind, time to go," he very quickly said, grabbing Neji, who was carrying Tenten bridal style.

Kakashi saw them, and smirked to himself, seeing Gai running away.

Neji was careful not to disturb Tenten, taking swift, small steps.

"Do you have a key to her home?" Gai looked at Neji questionably.

"Hn," Neji said quietly, seeing that Tenten's head was moving, and he was afraid to wake her. Gai took that as a no, for Neji kept on walking away from Tenten's house.

"Are you taking her back to the compound?"

"Hiashi said she could stay there until the mission, so I can help her through this," he said in a taunt voice.

"Great, I will check on her in the morning, my little flower," he whispered into her ear.

Neji nodded, and saw Gai leave in the direction to his house. He continued his pace to the off white compound, walking through the gates, seeing Hinata talking with Naruto right inside the gates. He smirked, and saw Hinata look at him.

"I was just going," Naruto said, before he met the stare Neji was giving him.

"Bye-," Hinata said, grabbing Naruto's sleeve before he turned. Naruto turned to see if Neji had continued walking, but saw he was still staring there.

"Hiashi would be angered if his daughter and heir didn't come home soon," Neji shot at them, before turning around and walking back up the gravel to the door to the compound. He heard Hinata kiss him good-bye and then Naruto whispering her a promise in a husky voice, knowing that Hinata would probably be blushing bright red, for he heard a low chuckle, and heard Naruto leave. Hinata walked up besides Neji, watching the sleeping form of Tenten.

"Is she okay?" Hinata asked, worried about how Tenten's head was drooping greatly to her side.

"Hn."

"Okay, if you need me, you know where I am," she reassured him, opening the door so he could walk in, and then nearly skipping off to her room.

Neji walked along the quiet passage to the other side of the mansion house, careful to not waking Tenten, who was starting to mumble something in her sleep that wasn't audio enough for him to understand. Her legs started to move a little as he approached his room, glad they fixed the door that morning, and set her upon the bed covering her with the off white sheets.

He pulled the closest chair towards the edge of the bed, sitting in it and watching Tenten's slumbering form as if it was the most intriguing movie he had ever seen.

Her feet started to thrash around, and he put one arm over her legs to stop the thrashing, but knew that whatever she was dreaming was doing this, and nothing outside of her head could restrain her physical body. He saw her then start shivering and shaking, and he didn't know whether it was the cold or her dreams. He took one arm and stretched it out to her cheek, to see if she was cold, and when his fingers barely shadowed her cheek, he felt the heat coming off her skin, nearly burning his fingertips.

He knew it was the dream, and her eyes shot open once he touched her, and tears started to fall from her eyes into little pools on the pillow. He knew this wasn't her, and knew whatever she was dreaming was doing this to her, and it was breaking him to see her like this. Her hand came from under the comforter, and grabbed his hand, nearly blistering her skin because the heat.

"He's dead," she choked out, her voice broken and cracked. "He has to be." More tears fell, and nearly a quarter of the pillow was soaked that was supporting her head.

A small pinprick tear was forming in Neji's eyes to see Tenten the strongest mental teammate he had crying over a dream and the past.

"You're here, but he isn't, and I shouldn't," she cried out, her voice breaking into loud sobs.

"Hn." Neji couldn't think of what to say, knowing he couldn't let himself be lost in front of Tenten.

"Lee…" she cried out his name, gripping Neji's hand. Neji leaned over, sitting on the edge of the bed and pulled Tenten into his lap, covering her with the blanket. He made a small shushing noise in her ear, and held her tight, but not enough to hurt her or make her uncomfortable.

"You're here, and you're breaking many people in this state," he admitted to her, knowing that acting like normal would bring Tenten back. But then a thought occurred to him, what if this was Tenten know, scarred from these memories, and she just pretended during the day to act normal.

"I know," she said, digging her head into the crook of his neck, inhaling his scent and letting the salty droplets flow on his skin, making him shiver at the heat of them.

"Tenten, it's okay," he quietly cooed to her, making her shiver as he said her name. She loved how he said her name, for he always said, 'Hn', and she just loved how it would rarely roll off his tongue. (A/N: Hearing my bf say my name makes him sound sexy and makes me flutter like a hopeless butterfly, just putting that in there for the hell of it. Hint hint to those guys who want to impress their gfs. And hint hint to my bf!!)

She gently pressed her lips against his cool neck, heat radiating off her lips through his whole neck. She knew what she had done with Lee, and knew Neji should know.

"Lee loved me," she came out, bringing more tears.

Neji was taken aback for what Tenten just said, pulling her away from himself. He looked her in the eyes, and a few tears formed in his eyes, but evaporated.

"What?"

"I kissed him, actually he was me, and then we where attacked," she said, her voice barely audio and understandable.

Neji knew he should tell the Hokage of this, for any report of the mission was needed, and he knew she was gonna get it out of her, the entire situation, soon if she didn't say it on her own. The Hokage would make her feel guilty, then get the information out of her, knowing it would make the village safer with anything about the rogue ninja. But he knew better than tell the Hokage of this, he somehow had feelings for the kunoichi, and knew that if she really needed to tell her, that she would on her own, besides, it wasn't really that valuable, he hoped.

"Do you love him?" Neji had to ask, and he didn't even know he had asked until they slipped out. Tenten let out a sniffle, and melted out of Neji's arms and onto the bed, gripping the sheets tightly with her hands.

Tenten knew it would come to this, she loved Lee so much, and Lee knew it, but he also knew that she loved Neji. She knew that she would choose, and so did Lee, he understood her so much. Lee kissed her, well, a little bit more than kissed, for she remembered him seductively sticking his tongue past her lips before the ninja attacked, and knew that Lee loved her as much as she did, and wanted to spend the rest of her ninja life with him, and then more.

She cried into the sheets and mattress, her hair flailed out around her. She had thought that Neji would see her, the real her like Lee had, and take her with him forever, but he never did, also helping her choose Lee. Neji would never see her, and even with Lee gone, she felt as though it would be against her love for Lee if she fell for Neji.

"Tenten?"

"Hm?" she said into the sheets, not daring to look up.

"Lee knows you are sad, and he doesn't want you to be," Neji said, grabbing her wrists and pulling her up to meet his eyes.

"Ne-" she started.

"Tenten, listen. You loved Lee, and I know that now, and do you think he would want you to be like this?" he asked her sternly, not letting up on her wrists as she pulled away.

"Lee was everything to me then, and that was ripped away from me! Let me GO!"

"A lot was ripped from me, but I need to know for sure, are you willing to make him happy and let him go from your love life?!" he nearly yelled at her. He knew that the feelings he had had for her where this, and he hoped that Lee where ever the hell he was now was gonna forgive him for this.

"I love him, more than anything," she whispered, trying to rip her arms from him.

"And I love you," Neji finally said it, and to shut her up, gently pressed his lips against hers, the heat from her's meeting his.

Tenten was taken by a huge surprise, and the surprise over took her feelings, and she let out a low moan into the kiss, not knowing where it was coming from. Neji let go of her wrists, only to move his hands around her small waist, while she wrapped hi around her. She climbed back into his lap, and then they heard a huge crash outside the door, and both looked up to see Gai breaking through the door, looking at them wide eyed. Neji quickly thought of how he would have to get a new door, and then thought of what Gai was thinking, which made him look at Tenten, who was staring at me.

It was not even a second after Gai came in, and he started talking. "Someone says they thought they saw Lee!" Gai shouted.

Tenten looked at Gai, then at Neji. "What have I done?" she said, and fell from Neji's arms to the ground, her head breaking her fall….

A/N:I know, sorry for the late update, but school and sports and all, but here it is, and worth it. Kinda short, sorry, but lots of information. The next wait will not be that late. And poor Neji needs to find a new door. At this rate, he might as well keep a spare in his closet or nearby. lol. Peace out : D


End file.
